SAN ANTONIO — For the past 24 hours, when you’ve asked coach Erik Spoelstra or the Heat players what adjustments they need to make to bounce back from a 3-1 deficit against the Spurs, you get some variant of “we just need to do what we do better.” It’s not new lineups or new match ups — Game 5 Sunday night will be the 14th meeting between these teams since the start of last year’s Finals, these teams know each other.

It’s about execution and that’s what Erik Spoelstra said he has emphasized in the last 48 hours.

“We met yesterday and talked about our approach for the next 24 hours,” Spoelstra said before Game 5. “We had a good day of work the day before that. We had a good day off to clear our minds, and this is about bringing our best game of the series….

“We’re looking to start better, but regardless of what happens, we have to find a way in this game. And we need consistent minutes where we’re imposing our identity on this game, which we’ve yet to do for an entire game.”

Maybe that is because they are coming out of a soft Eastern Conference, where they didn’t have to play at their peak for 48 minutes to advance. Maybe it’s because this is Game 14 between these teams since the start of last year’s Finals and San Antonio has gotten used to the pressure and style of the Heat.

Whatever the reason, this is not the first adversity the Heat have faced and this gives Spoelstra confidence.

“I love being in the trenches with this group when you’re in situations like this,” Spoelstra said. “You reveal your character. You real what you’re made out of when you’re facing adversity. Everybody can bid in the situation that the Spurs are in right now. It’s much more revealing when you’re in a situation like this how you respond, individually or collectively. How do we respond in a game like this? I love bing in the locker room with these guys in these situations.”

We will see what the Heat locker room is like after this game. That also could be telling.

Miami’s identity this season has been aging role players, terrible gambles on Beasley & Oden, and mediocre defense. So… why not bench Rashard & Chalmers for Beasley & Oden then play the old guys too many minutes in crunch time?

Anti, where u at bruh!
Against my own intuition, with my reads I flip flopped and ended up taking Miami today (I woke up thinking for sure I was going Spurs) WITHOUT the points straight up, moneyline. Went 1/3rd of my entire seasons bankroll (started NFL week 5) and have never had to have a re-buy (haven’t put any money in ever since). TODAY I AM the biggest Heat fan in the world, not u, not Pat Riley, no one! At least for this game.